He's No Friend Of Mine

Not the Cisco Kid but Barney Franks. The former Representative from Massachusetts.

From hospice, Barney Frank urges Democrats to rethink trans rights approach

The gay rights pioneer spoke with CNN’s Jake Tapper in what could be one of the former Massachusetts congressman’s final public appearances.

The Advocate

Christopher Wiggins

May 04, 2026

• Former Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Barney Frank is confronting the end of his life with the same bluntness that defined his decades in Congress.

Speaking from hospice care and appearing unwell in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday, the Democrat said he is living with end-stage heart failure. “I’ve felt better. On the other hand, I anticipate feeling worse,” he said. “After 86 years, my heart’s just wearing out.”

I don't wish anyone ill, But he did a lot of harm to the trans community! He was not a friend of the trans community.

While not explicitly questioning the legitimacy of trans people in public life, Frank said he had concerns about how some of the most politically volatile debates, especially sports, are being discussed.

“The analog is male-to-female transsexuals playing sports designated for women,” Frank said, using language that many advocates now consider outdated. He added that “in the interest of the transgender community, as well as others, it could be better to go at that in a more granular way, and not simply announce that if you don’t support it, you’re a homophobe,” he said.

In 2007 I went to Washington with a friend to lobby for ENDA which at the time was trans inclusive but by months later he took us out of the bill saying that we hadn't lobbied hard enough for the bill!

No, he is not a friend of the trans community.

---

Update: 5/20 @ 11:30am

Barney Frank, former congressman and gay-rights pioneer, dies at 86

May 20, 2026

By The NPR Network

Adam Reilly, GBH News

Barney Frank, the liberal icon and gay-rights pioneer who represented Massachusetts in Congress for more than three decades, died Tuesday night at his home, according to a close friend who confirmed his death to member station GBH.

He was 86 years old and had been receiving hospice care for congestive heart failure.

Frank was the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out, and also the first to marry a same-sex partner. He says many of the conventional tactics they took to fight for gay-rights helped make "enormous progress" in a relatively short period of time.

"Gay" rights is the right term, he was the one who stripped us out of ENDA back in '07.